1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a stay for supporting the sun-blocking plate of an automobile sun visor that is used to prevent glare by positioning the light-blocking plate between the automobile window and an occupant's head.
2. Description of the Related Art
The occupant of an automobile conventionally employs an automobile sun visor having a light-blocking plate that can be positioned between an automobile window and the occupant's head to block, for example, sunlight, prevent glare, and thus ensure a good visibility. As shown in FIG. 1A, in automobile sun visor 80 of a typical configuration, flat light-blocking plate 81 that is opaque or translucent and that has a prescribed size is supported in the interior of the automobile by a support axis, i.e., stay 82, that is linked to one edge of light-blocking plate 81 and that is attached to a portion of automobile ceiling 60 between windshield 71 and side window 72.
As stay 82 of this type of automobile sun visor 80 in a passenger automobile, a construction having L-shaped configuration that is bent in a 90° angle at a middle part such as shown in FIG. 1A is typically used that includes: a vertical part that extends downward from ceiling 60, a horizontal part that extends horizontally, and a curved part that links the vertical part and horizontal part, a stay of this configuration being disclosed in, for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2001-80354. In this type of stay 82, the vertical part is attached so as to allow rotation around a vertical axial line, and the horizontal part is linked to light-blocking plate 81 such that light-blocking plate 81 can be rotated. The combination of the rotation of this vertical part around the vertical axial line and the rotation of light-blocking plate 81 around the horizontal part allows the occupant to position light-blocking plate 81 in various desired positions according to the conditions of travel.
The arrangement of light-blocking plate 81 of this type of automobile sun visor can be classified among three types.
The first arrangement is an arrangement for positioning light-blocking plate 81 in a position of non-use along ceiling 60. By adopting this arrangement, the occupant can make automobile sun visor 80 unobtrusive.
The second arrangement is an arrangement for rotating light-blocking plate 81 downward around the horizontal part from the position of non-use and thus positioning light-blocking plate 81 between the occupant's head and windshield 71. By adopting for this arrangement, the occupant can block the irradiation of light from ahead of the automobile.
The third arrangement is an arrangement for rotating the vertical axis from the position of the second arrangement and positioning light-blocking plate 81 between the occupant's head and side window 72. By adopting for this arrangement, the occupant can block the irradiation of light from the side of the automobile.
In recent years, air bags that can effectively protect an occupant's head etc. are frequently provided in automobiles as equipment for protecting occupants. When it is determined, based on the occurrence of a strong impact to an automobile and so on, that a collision has occurred or that there is a high possibility of a collision, an air bag expands rapidly to deploy, for example, between the occupant and the interior walls, thereby easing the shock caused when an occupant collides with the interior walls etc. and thus serving the function of protecting the occupant. Well-known examples of such air bags are mounted as modules in the steering column, instrument panel, or door trim, and the latest forms include examples in which air bag modules are mounted in the ceiling of an automobile.
As an example of an air bag that is mounted in the ceiling, air bag 50 is known that is configured to deploy downward in the manner of a curtain from the portion of ceiling 60 above side window 72 and along side window 72, as shown in FIG. 1B. When this type of air bag 50 deploys with automobile sun visor 80 arranged in the third arrangement in which light-blocking plate 81 is positioned between the occupant's head and side window 72, air bag 50 may interfere with automobile sun visor 80 while in the process of deployment. When interfering with automobile sun visor 80 while deploying at high speed, air bag 50 exerts a strong shock load for a short interval against automobile sun visor 80, and this force may exceed 1000 N. Thus, as shown in FIG. 1B, it is possible that stay 82 of automobile sun visor 80 will be bent.
Stay 82 is normally covered by a resin for the purpose of improving the external appearance. When stay 82 is deformed in this type of automobile sun visor 80 of the prior art, cracks or fractures may in some cases occur in this cover resin, and there is the danger that sharp parts will be formed and that splinters will be scattered, whereby the safety of occupants is compromised.